KLF-London!: The beginning of a new era!

For everyone who knows me, they might be aware of the importance of #KLF in my Life. A little prequel, you can read HERE!. After the successful 8^th Karachi Literature Festival, and it’s sub-festivals in Islamabad, Lahore etc. KLF launched at Southbank Centre in LONDON! YES, LONDON!!!!!

At the 70^th anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan, what better way of celebrating our talent, rich history and culture through a literature festival in the heart of London. The event kick started on the 20^th of May, and was held at the Royal Festival Hall of South Bank Centre, as a part of their annual festival ALCHEMY. KLF in London not only bought writers, artists, scholars from diverse backgrounds, creative traditions and academic disciplines, but also all the readers, art enthusiasts, and culturally woke ex-pats and the foreigners alike! #KLFLondon was organized by Oxford University Press Pakistan in collaborations with the Southbank Centre, Bloomsburry Pakistan, and Rukhsana Ahmed.

The audiences at the KLF were treated to a medley of around 20 parallel sessions encompassing talks, panel discussions, poetry readings, mushaira, and performances. A stellar cast of around 70 leading Pakistani-origin and international writers, scholars, critics, journalists, and artists participated in stimulating sessions covering a broad range of themes, ideas, and subjects pertaining to Pakistan’s literature, arts, and culture. A separate strand for children which included an immersive theatre piece by Jungly Jadoogars; an animated film by the artist Fauzia Minallah; storytelling by the children’s author, Shahbano Bilgrami; and sing-along songs by the veteran Pakistani musician, Khaled Anam, were also a part of the festival.

The KLF London, since being first of its kind, revolved around immediate issues, concreting around the themes like Freedom, Justice and democracy. KLF London also widely celebrated the optimism of the human spirit and the ability of arts to celebrate and change lives through the power of words and expressions. KLF London also brought forward important topics like domestic violence, harassment, marital rape, and other social injustices like internalized misogyny, transphobia, gender/class divide, religious extremism etc.

The evening came to a close by a kathak dance performance by Shayma Saiyid and a music concert by Khumariyaan, a Peshawar-based music band known for their fusion brand of Pashtun folk music. 

KLF London was sponsored by Bestway, Arts Council England, Third World Quarterly magazine, Salt n Pepper restaurant, High Commission of Pakistan in London, South Asia Institute of the University of Texas at Austin, and The Pakistan Society. 

For events like these happening outside Pakistan to promote Pakistani voices and their work, I think it’s such a brilliant and spectacular way of diminishing the social barriers between us and the west. Pakistan REALLY needs to be shown in a positive spotlight and away from the moral shortcomings and all the bad shiz that has been associated with us throughout the years. Events like these are really good not only for our image, but also for opening tremendous opportunities for our budding future writers, artists and scholars.

Working as a part of such an amazing thing as #KLF has truly been an honor, and Till I wait for next year’s KLF and KLF London, this is me, singing off.

Digitally Drowsy,

Wurduh Jaffri